From the NTID President's Office

Thank you to everyone in the community who submitted feedback on NTID’s Antiracism and Social Justice Plan. Students from the Ebony Club, Latin American Deaf Club, and Asian Deaf Club had requested an extension until October 15 to submit their feedback, and they now have asked for an extension to the end of the semester. We look forward to receiving their feedback, and in the meantime, we are moving forward with the feedback we already have received, and we expect to release the updated plan in early November. Once we have the student feedback, we will make any necessary adjustments to the plan. It is our intention that the plan will be a work in progress as we continue to update and refine it based on feedback from the community as we move forward.

New appointments in support of NTID’s Antiracism and Social Justice Plan

I am pleased to announce the following personnel changes in support of our forthcoming Antiracism and Social Justice Plan. Alesia Allen has been named assistant vice president for diversity and inclusion; Joseph Hill will serve as assistant dean for ALANA faculty recruitment and retention; Thomastine “Tommie” Sarchet-Maher’s new position is assistant dean of ALANA outreach, access, and success; and Peter Hauser has been named assistant dean of research mentoring. All will play key roles in implementing NTID’s Antiracism and Social Justice Plan, which is scheduled for release this fall.

Alesia, who previously was named NTID director of diversity and inclusion, is responsible for overseeing implementation of NTID’s Antiracism and Social Justice Plan. She serves as a member of the NTID Administrative Council and works closely with Keith Jenkins, RIT vice president and associate provost of diversity and inclusion, and his team. She monitors diversity, inclusion, equal opportunity and access regulations and issues in higher education and advises the NTID president and other NTID administrators on matters related to diversity and inclusion. Alesia collaborates with faculty, staff, students, and other NTID units, including the NTID Diversity Group, to support diversity-related initiatives at NTID. She also has oversight responsibility for the NTID Faculty Program in Academia (NFPA), which is designed to diversify NTID’s faculty, and for recruitment and retention efforts for faculty and staff from historically underrepresented groups. 

Alesia has experience working as a diversity dialogue facilitator, helping undergraduate students explore divisions among people on the basis of racial and ethnic identity and helping them examine racial and ethnic dynamics within and across deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing communities. She has provided multicultural workshops and mentored students of color, providing resources for them to succeed in their studies and in their careers following graduation.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from RIT/NTID and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Gallaudet University. 

Alesia’s new position aligns with the additional responsibilities she is taking on as we finalize and prepare for implementation of NTID’s Antiracism and Social Justice Plan. She has been instrumental in helping to draft and revise the plan, and I look forward to continuing to work with and support her as the NTID community works together to take the important steps outlined in the plan to make NTID better, stronger and more welcoming of all people.

As assistant dean for ALANA faculty recruitment and retention, Joseph will work closely with Alesia to diversify NTID’s faculty, with special emphasis on recruiting individuals who identify as African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American and Native American (ALANA). He will participate in the search process for faculty candidates, working with search committee chairs to increase diversity in candidate pools. He also will lead initiatives to support the retention and success of ALANA faculty members at NTID. As part of his new role, which is a three-year appointment, Joseph will be a member of NTID’s Administrative Council.

Joseph holds the rank of associate professor in NTID’s Department of American Sign Language and Interpreting Education. His research interests include socio-historical and -linguistic aspects of African-American variety of American Sign Language and attitudes and ideologies about signing varieties in the American Deaf community. His contributions include The Hidden Treasure of Black ASL: Its History and Structure (2011), which he co-authored with Carolyn McCaskill, Ceil Lucas, and Robert Bayley, and Language Attitudes in the American Deaf Community (2012).

He earned a bachelor’s degree from Miami University of Ohio and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Gallaudet University.

In Tommie’s new role as assistant dean of ALANA outreach, access, and success, she will work closely with NTID Academic Affairs on the development and expansion of domestic and international outreach and transition programs; dual-credit coursework; and assessments for admissions, placement and retention. She will work collaboratively to develop academic outreach and transition pipelines for ALANA, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), and international students that minimize barriers, increase access and participation to educational opportunities, and promote overall success. She also will serve as a member of NTID’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion executive team. 

Tommie is a member of the NTID Administrative Council and has been director of the Center for International Educational Outreach (IEO) since 2016, overseeing NTID’s international partnerships. She also serves as liaison to RIT Global Education and works closely with RIT’s international admissions’ offices, consulting and advising on international deaf and hard of hearing applicants. In 2018, Tommie was named the Paul and Francena Miller Endowed Chair for International Education for NTID, a rotating appointment through all colleges of RIT. 

She teaches in NTID’s Master of Science program in Secondary Education of Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. She also leads curriculum development, assessment, training and evaluation for international deaf education programs and established the Summer Transition Program (STP) and Fall Transition Program (FTP) with NTID faculty member Jessica Trussell. Tommie serves as co-director for the Center for Education Research Partnerships (CERP) with Trussell. She is the 2005 recipient of the Isaac L. Jordan, Sr. Staff Pluralism Award; is a founding member of the NTID Diversity Group (NDG); co-chaired NTID’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee; and served as co-moderator for NTID’s First Community Dialogue on Race. As a BIPOC woman in a leadership role, Tommie formally and informally mentors non-tenure track faculty and staff of color seeking education and career advancement.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in secondary deaf education, both from RIT/NTID. She currently is completing her doctorate in Teaching and Curriculum at the University of Rochester.  

In Peter’s new role as the assistant dean of research mentoring, he will work closely with the NTID pre-tenure faculty and the faculty in the NTID Fellowship Program for Academia (NFPA) to support their individual development plans. He will establish and lead a committee to develop NTID’s five-year research plan, including research mentorship support and resources. He also will become a member of NTID’s Administrative Council.

Peter has been the director of the Rochester Bridges to the Doctorate program for under-representative minorities in biomedical sciences funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 2014 and the principal investigator (PI) of the Broadening the Participation of Deaf Individuals in Sign Language Research program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) since 2013. He served as the Science Mentorship Leader of the NSF Science of Learning Center on Visual Language and Visual Learning 2011 – 2015. He also served as the leader of the NTID Pre-Tenure Faculty Group since 2016 and will continue to be the point of contact for tenure-related questions and support. He founded the NTID Tenure Track People of Color group in 2017 that now will be led by NTID’s Division of Diversity and Inclusion executive team, of which Peter is a member.

He will continue to direct the NTID Research Center on Culture and Language (CCL) where NTID faculty study deaf and hard of hearing communities of practice with the goal of enhancing sociocultural connectedness, health, learning, and well-being. In 2011 when Peter received his tenure, he was recognized as one of the RIT’s Principal Investigator (PI) Millionaires, and he was the first NTID faculty member who had funding from both National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Health totaling over $1 million. Since then, he has continued to be awarded grants from both federal agencies. He has published over 50 peer-review journal articles and book chapters and has presented his research all over the world. Peter is the past recipient of the RIT Provost’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Mentoring (2018), NTID National Advisory Group Outstanding Service Award (2009), Isaac L. Jordan, Sr. Pluralism Award for Promoting Diversity (2006), RIT Exemplary myCourses Teaching Award (2006), and Eisenhart Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching (2005).

Peter holds bachelor’s degrees in psychology and philosophy from Central Connecticut State University, and master’s degrees in psychology and linguistics and a PhD in clinical psychology, all from Gallaudet University.

We have assembled an outstanding team to help with implementation of NTID’s Antiracism and Social Justice Plan. Each will focus on key areas that are integral to success of the plan and integral to the successful recruitment, retention and development of ALANA faculty, staff and students. They will not do this work alone; anti-racism and social justice work requires on-going commitment and support from everyone in the NTID community. Together, we will make meaningful and lasting change.

• Professional Development Mini Grants
  Due to COVID-19, conference travel remains prohibited by the university. However, virtual conference attendance is permissible as a means of augmenting your professional development. Please contact your department chairperson for more information. Mini grant information is available here.
• NTID Librarian Support Videos
  Joan Naturale, NTID Librarian, has prepared a video demonstrating how to access and use library resources and databases. Topics include Google Scholar, Avoiding Plagiarism and finding films, books and Deaf e-Journals. There are 18 videos available to date; more titles will be added soon.
• Past PD Workshops – Presentation Materials
  Presentation materials are available from past professional development workshops. Materials from the SVP Class of 2020, Mid-Course Feedback and SAISD’s Coronavirus and Substance Use presentations have recently been added.

I encourage everyone to participate in this program: RIT is joining Rochester area institutions, organizations and businesses in the United Way’s 21 Day Racial Equity Challenge. Through a series of self-directed learning opportunities through daily emails, with approximately 10 minutes of content emailed directly to you and taken at your convenience, you can learn more about racism and how it may affect your life and the lives of others.

• Sign up here today https://www.rit.edu/diversity/21-day-racial-equity-challenge, and you will receive an email every weekday October 23 - November 20 with links to recommended articles, videos, podcasts, reflections and more.
• Daily topics include Understanding Bias, Levels of Racism, Housing Inequities, Building a Race Equity Culture and many more.

NTID Construction Projects
RIT Leadership has approved restarting the following NTID renovation projects. These projects were approved, budgeted, and resourced prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• NTID Restroom Renovations

Restrooms on the west side of LBJ Hall were complete during summer 2019. Renovations to the restrooms on east side of LBJ Hall and the first floor of the SDC, originally scheduled for summer 2020, were postponed due to COVID. This work will be begin as soon as possible.   

• LBJ Window Replacement

This project is a continuation of the dorm window replacement project. Originally scheduled for summer 2020, work will begin in the spring.  

• LBJ Classroom Renovations

The cluster classroom renovations on the first floor of LBJ Hall originally scheduled to begin during spring 2020 will be completed during summer 2021.

• We have set 25 desks in the Dyer Arts Center to be used as a study space for anyone who wants a place to study in a large open space. The space is open 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday – Friday.
• FMS has set up more Foot Pedal Hand Sanitizers throughout the areas.
• Some people have expressed concerns about people eating in classrooms and hallways. A friendly reminder for everyone: please do not eat outside of food services areas.

Every fall, Staff Council organizes a food drive for RIT’s FoodShare Center. Celebrating their five-year anniversary in April, the RIT FoodShare focuses on eliminating food insecurity for students, faculty, and staff. Since April 2020, the RIT FoodShare Center has provided more than 350 filled grocery bags to Tigers in need.

This year, the food drive has gone virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic and state restrictions. Instead of collecting food items, the RIT FoodShare has asked for monetary donations at http://bit.ly/FOODSHARE-Direct or items from their Amazon wish list at http://bit.ly/RIT-FoodshareWishlist. If you purchase items from the Amazon wish list, use this address: RIT FoodShare, 63 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623. Most needed items are pasta, pasta sauce (with and without meat), rice, peanut butter, canned vegetables and canned fruit. The food drive ends October 31; let’s make it a plentiful month for them! For more information, contact Cathy Clarke.

RIT’s Copyright Policy (C3.2) is intended to protect the interest of copyright holders, ensure that RIT, its faculty, staff, student and visitors comply with copyright law and the Technology Education and Copyright Harmonization Act, and to ensure that the RIT community, and society, benefit from the fair and full dissemination of copyrighted knowledge and innovation. RIT and Copyright Law require that members of the RIT community respect the proprietary rights of owners of copyrights and refrain from actions that constitute an infringement of copyright or other proprietary rights. Generally, an infringement of copyright or other proprietary rights can be avoided with the express written permission of the creator of the copyrighted work, and in some cases, the payment of a royalty and/or licensing fee.

For example, RIT has licenses to use certain music in certain situations, but individuals must get permission to use music for “derivative works” (e.g.,. creating an ASL interpretation of a song).

Complying with RIT’s Copyright Policy is considered part of the conditions of employment, enrollment, or participation in RIT sponsored events or programs. If there are any questions regarding a piece of music and how it will be used, contact Susan Murad.

NTID Professional Development is scheduling a workshop on the topic of copyright guidelines. Watch for information to come.

Program evaluation consultation and statistics consultation now available through OADR
Our office is pleased to announce the renewal of our OADR-funded consulting contract with statisticians from the College of Science - a popular service that a number of faculty took advantage of last year. This year, we also have a NEW OADR-funded opportunity from Compass Evaluation and Consulting, which will focus on helping faculty design and implement various aspects of program evaluations (including logic models and more). As I've often noted, expertise in statistical methods and program evaluation methods are unique areas of skill that I believe are best "outsourced" to experts in those topic areas. The funds available for faculty to avail themselves of these two consulting opportunities are limited, so requests should be sent to Bob Pollard. First priority will be given to requests for consultation to be used in writing grant proposals. However, if sufficient funds are available, consultation relevant to research reports or publications also will be considered. 

Two "P.I. Prime Time" presentations coming up soon:

Friday, Oct. 30, 2020
2:30-4:00 p.m.
Presenters: Laurie Furibondo and Matt Dye 

Understanding the Grant Review Process 

A major factor in preparing successful grant applications is understanding how the review process works and tailoring the application to meet the review criteria. This session will offer specific information about the review process and insights from faculty who have served as grant reviewers. Topics will include steps in the review process, what reviewers look for in successful proposals, scoring systems, and what PI’s need to know about the review process.

Click here to register for PIPT:  Grant Review Process

Friday, Nov. 6, 2020
2:30-4:00 p.m.
Presenter: Dr. Mike McKee, University of Michigan

Engaging Program Officers Effectively: Tips and Strategies to Improve Your Funding Success

An important step to a successful grant application is appropriately engaging program officers effectively. Many junior or new researchers may be intimidated by program officers when they should not be. Program officers should be viewed as a resource and guide to help you target the right grant funding opportunities for your research. This session will highlight key points to consider when working with program officers. Personal stories and useful strategies, including from the perspective as a Deaf researcher, will be shared.

Please click here to register for this Zoom meeting

Please extend a warm NTID welcome to the newest members of our community:
Chris Cymbal – Captionist I
Tyler Fortson – Theater Actor
Anna Howland - Captionist I
Eric Moslow – Technical Director Performing Arts
Paul Rehac – Captionist I
Nicholas Schake – Captionist I
Katherine Vernon – Captionist
Gloria Farr, mental health therapist

• To Matt Dye, who was named as one of RIT’s top researchers: https://www.rit.edu/news/rit-sponsored-research-garners-record-82-million-funding?utm_campaign=mc-nedaily&utm_source=message-center&utm_medium=email&utm_content=top-story
• To Sharon Vandezande, who is one of five members of the RIT community to have completed the first RIT Diversity Education Cultural Humility Certificate Program. https://www.rit.edu/diversity/newsletter/october-2020/story/they-are-firsts

Kailea Colayori, ASLIE alumna, died on September 22, 2020. A fundraising event to cover funeral costs is found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/funeral-funds-for-alex-and-kailea-colayori?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=p_cf%20share-flow-1&fbclid=IwAR3KrXoGtn5V7jtfGzWdA9ydNqn8Ed2oEZ__Tp3X2mDdiZ0wHC2-yRfhEBA

Dr. Rosemary E. Saur, passed away on October 5, 2020. She retired from RIT/NTID in 2007 after 28 years of service. She was chairperson of the Science and Engineering Support Team. https://www.frenchfunerals.com/obituary/Rosemary-Saur